Cornish Pasties — a plant-based British recipe by BOSH!
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Cornish Pasties

Cornish pasties are one of those things we never thought we'd be able to make plant-based, but honestly this version is just as good as the real deal. There's something so satisfying about a proper homemade pasty, that golden, flaky pastry wrapped around a hearty filling of potato, swede and seasoning. They're proper comfort food and they travel brilliantly, so they're perfect for a packed lunch, a picnic, or just eating on the sofa when you want something a bit special. We keep coming back to this one because it feels like a proper project but it's totally doable in about an hour. Make a batch this week, you won't regret it.

Cook: 60 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large baking tray
  • Mixing bowl
  • Colander
  • Chill pastry dough in fridge while making filling

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp water
  • 110g plant-based butter
  • 225g plain flour - plus extra for dusting
  • ¼ tsp salt - plus a little extra
  • plant-based milk to brush
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tsp Bouillon
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp Marmite
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 400g potatoes
  • 200g swede
  • 200g plant-based meat - (burgers or steaks are best)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 thyme sprigs
  • 2 tsp plant-based Worcestershire sauce - (we used Henderson's Relish) or soy sauce
  • salt to taste

Method

1

Make the pastry

  • Put the dairy-free butter into a mixing bowl and sprinkle over the flour and salt
  • Rub between your fingers to make a dry, crumbly mixture
  • Add the water and work it into the butter mixture with your fingers to make a dough
  • Put the dough in the fridge while you make the filling
2

Prepare the ingredients

  • Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 cm cubes
  • Peel the swede and cut it into 1 cm cubes
  • Cut the vegan meat into 1 cm cubes
  • Peel, halve and dice the onion
  • Peel and grate the garlic
  • Pick the thyme leaves
3

Now cook the potatoes and swede

  • Put the potato cubes in a saucepan, cover with cold water and sprinkle over the bouillon
  • Bring the water to the boil and simmer the potatoes for 8 minutes until tender but firm
  • Use a slotted spoon to take the potato cubes out of the pan, put the potatoes on a plate and set to one side
  • Put the swede chunks in the pan and boil for 12-15 minutes until tender but firm
  • Drain the swede into a colander and put them on the plate with the potatoes
4

Now, make the filling

  • Warm the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat
  • Add the onion and a pinch of salt to the pan and stir for 4-5 minutes
  • Add the vegan meat to the pan and stir for 3-4 minutes (if the pan starts to become a little dry, add a couple of tbsp water)
  • Add the garlic and thyme to the pan and stir for 30 seconds
  • Turn the heat down, add the yeast extract, vegan worcester sauce, pepper and stir into the onions
  • Add the potato and swede and fold into the rest of the ingredients
  • Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool to room temperature

Next, prepare the pastry

  • Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces
  • Dust a clean work surface with flour
  • Roll the dough pieces into circles about 22cm long, 22cm wide and 6mm thick
  • Place a small plate in the middle of the pastry and trim the rough edges with a sharp knife (this will improve the look of your pasties)
5

Bake the pastries and serve

  • Spoon the filling into the centre of each pastry circle
  • Pull the pastry around the filling evenly and pinch the two pastry edges together
  • Crimp the edges of the pastry with your fingers to achieve the familiar, traditional Cornish pasty look
  • Put the pasties on a baking tray, brush with plant based milk, put the tray in the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes until the pasties are golden in colour
  • Take the pasties out of the oven, let them rest for 10 minutes (they will be piping hot inside) and serve on their own as a satisfying, warming light lunch!

Tips & Variations

  • Chill your dough: Don't skip resting the pastry in the fridge. Even 20 minutes makes a real difference to how easy it is to work with and how it bakes up.
  • Cut everything small: Keep your potato and swede cubes around 1 cm. It means everything cooks through evenly inside the pasty without the pastry burning on the outside.
  • Season generously: The filling needs more seasoning than you think. Don't be shy with the salt and pepper, bland pasties are a crime.

Why This Works

The trick here is getting the pastry right. Using dairy-free butter and rubbing it into the flour properly before adding the water gives you that short, crumbly texture that makes a pasty a pasty. Chilling the dough while you prep the filling is key too, it makes it so much easier to roll and shape without it falling apart on you.